Feel Aa Gayi Yaar! - My learnings from creating music

Jamming, (amateur) composing, music arrangement and band management… The past few months of my life have probably been the most music-packed ever.

I got involved in various musical activities: my home-band at IITB - The Falling Bass, Hostel 10’s immensely talented all-girl bands Udaan and Ten on Ten, the Surbahaar team, Thane's Sanskriti Academy’s annual programme Aarohan and numerous jams with enthusiastic musical friends.

Making music has become such an important part of life that I can’t remember a single day in the last six months when I haven’t sat down with some musical instrument and played something, alone or with someone else. As a result, I have gained new comfort levels with not just the guitar, but also the bass guitar, keys, congas, drums and even (just a little bit) the flute.

Growing musically is one thing. Apart from just that, I've changed as a person, built beautiful new friendships, enhanced old friendships and learnt a lot about people. Most of all, I've learnt about myself.

In general, here are some thoughts and learnings:

• Two’s company, three’s a crowd, four’s the way to go! (Somehow four is an optimal number of people to jam at the same time in terms of enjoyment and creative license. I've also done ten to thirty musicians at once. More often than not, it ends up as not music but cacophony. My personal favourite is two though… just another musician and I. It’s the easiest way to build a friendship that you will never forget).
• It's impossible to completely understand a musical instrument. Every time you think you've got it nailed, it reveals a new exciting capability to voice your music. Physics at work!
• Awesome equipment is different from awesome music.
• Drummers get bored and ignored all the while. Poor souls.
• Bassists are the most understated members of a band.
• Bass solos sound great!
• Most musicians need to learn to keep time; in their songs and in their punctuality.
• It’s important to learn to be a performer, not just a musician.
• Practise alone as often as you can. It’s the fastest way to improve upon yourself.
• Open your mind while you jam. You’ll learn lots about people.
• Preach music. Really, it should be made a religion.
• Don’t forget your teacher/mentor/guru! No matter how much you believe you might have accomplished musically, your teacher will always show you how much further you still have to go.
• The three F’s of creating music – Fun, Friendship and Feel. Drop any one of the three, and the whole point of creating music is lost.

My musical (and non-musical) readers... Any more thoughts and observations?